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A water right is a legal right to use surface or ground water under the Alaska Water Use Act (AS 46.15). A water right allows a specific amount of water from a specific water source to be diverted, impounded, or withdrawn for a specific use. When a water right is granted, it becomes appurtenant to the land where the water is being used for as long as the water is used. If the land is sold, the water right transfers with the land to the new owner, unless the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) approves its separation from the land. In Alaska, because water wherever it naturally occurs is a common property resource, landowners do not have automatic rights to ground water or surface water. For example, if a farmer has a creek running through his property, he will need a water right to authorize his use of a significant amount of water. Using water without a permit or certificate does not give the user a legal right to use the water. This shape file characterizes the geographic representation of point locations within the State of Alaska contained by the Surface Water Rights category. It has been extracted from data sets used to produce the State status plats. This data set includes cases noted on the digital status plats up to one day prior to data extraction. Each feature has an associated attribute record, including a Land Administration System (LAS) file-type and file-number which serves as an index to related LAS case-file information. Additional LAS case-file and customer information may be obtained at: http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/las/LASMenu.cfm Those requiring more information regarding State land records should contact the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Public Information Center directly. |